[Gerryex]

The local NBC digital channel, 7-1, used to come in at 80 or higher, but now is hovering around 70 or even lower. Thursday night's ER broke up quite often. While its not real HD, it is a better picture than the plain analog ch 8, but if the strength remains too low, it will continue to break up.


Anyone else notice this?


Gerry

 

[JSeibert]

Haven't noticed any signal degradation. Watched Law & Order over 8-1 (Dish DTV channel for WFLA) on Wednesday without any breakup. Didn't catch anything on WFLA Thursday night (all CBS with CSI & Agency). Just checked this evening (Friday) and signal strength was 80.

 

[videoholic]

I've never had a problem with 7 since I put my antenna up on a pole. My problem is getting both 24 and 12 in at the same time. I have like 2 degrees of play.


How do you know your signal strength? What unit are you using to see it?

 

[hifipj]

The more important issue is that they are not yet broadcasting in HD!!! We've been asking for it for over a year, but still no HD Leno.


Dish, please pick up the NBC HD feed too!

 

[Gerryex]

Hi videoholic,


I have the RCA F38310 with the built-in DTC-100. One of the menu options gives you a signal strength on digital OTA stations, similar to the numbers for satellite transponders.


I live in a Condo and we have a master antenna on each building where I get all the digital startions EXCEPT CBS. Its in a completely different direction. I have a separate triple bowtie located on the floor of my back deck in seemingly a lousy position, yet I get a pretty good level, usually around 80 or more.


Thursday night during ER, 7-1 was only in the 60's and I got a fair amount of break-up. This morning I took a measurment and it seemed to be pretty steady at 76, and no beark-up. I still used to get readings of 80 or more.


Gerry

 

[LtgDzinr]

Who cares what Channel 8's signal strenght is? They do not pass thru HD for Leno or Crossing Jordan. They refuse to reply to any of our numerous e-mails and calls. Support CBS and ABC.

 

[videoholic]

Quote:

Originally posted by Gerryex Hi videoholic, I have the RCA F38310 with the built-in DTC-100. One of the menu options gives you a signal strength on digital OTA stations, similar to the numbers for satellite transponders. I live in a Condo and we have a master antenna on each building where I get all the digital startions EXCEPT CBS. Its in a completely different direction. I have a separate triple bowtie located on the floor of my back deck in seemingly a lousy position, yet I get a pretty good level, usually around 80 or more. Thursday night during ER, 7-1 was only in the 60's and I got a fair amount of break-up. This morning I took a measurment and it seemed to be pretty steady at 76, and no beark-up. I still used to get readings of 80 or more. Gerry

I've tried finding that option several times and I don't have my book anymore. No clue where that went. NExt time you check out your strength, will you take note of the numbers you push to get to it. I'd really like to know.


Are the numbers fluctuating with the weather and time of day, or are they random?

 

[Gerryex]

Hi videoholic,


My internal DTC-100 is a little different than the stand alone units, but the basic menu structure should be the same. From the Fetch menu go to Antenna Info. This is where you will be able to tune to the various OTA channels, and you'll get a signal reading, but only for digital channels.


As far as NBC not sending any HD material, I agree, but when there are some "wide screen" programs such as ER or West Wing, the digital channel is certainly better than the SD channel.


Gerry


P. S. It seems in the mornings the NBC digital channel reads a pretty steady 76, but in the evenings it floats around the 60's and has a fair amount of break-up.

 

[Bschneider]

You can call or email, Mark Schaefer, the Director of Engineering of WFLA at his direct number (813) 225-2709 or email him at [email protected] .


According to him and from what he has told me was that the general manager doesn't want to pay for the equipment. Can you please post what information he gives you?


I am also trying to get him not to broadcast in 14:9.. On a 4:3 show it cuts off some of the screen vertically. For me it can be annoying some times.


My signal strength was in the 90's a couple of weeks ago. Its now in the high 60s. I will be calling Mark tomorrow and asking him whats going on.


FYI: They broadcast from the same tower as ABC.

 

[LtgDzinr]

I sent an e-mail to WFLA addressing the lack of HD and the 4x3 streaching. This makes the 8th or 9th time I have attempted to make contact with anyone @ 8. It is obvious they do not care. I was going to watch 3rd Watch tonight but I can't lock a signal. And I live about 2 miles from the tower and have an antenna rotor. WFLA sucks. I will not watch them again.

 

[samiam]

Quote:

Originally posted by LtgDzinr I sent an e-mail to WFLA addressing the lack of HD and the 4x3 streaching. This makes the 8th or 9th time I have attempted to make contact with anyone @ 8. It is obvious they do not care. I was going to watch 3rd Watch tonight but I can't lock a signal. And I live about 2 miles from the tower and have an antenna rotor. WFLA sucks. I will not watch them again.

They probally have no idea who you are or what you want.

TV stations barely understand the internet, much less email.

When you e-mail the station, you get sent into a mail queue

run by a low paid customer service person who will consider

email to be their lowest priority. Its unlikely that person

has any idea what HDTV is, so it gets filed in "other". I have

sent in specific receiption problems by e-mail and received

no answer, much less a general request like "why don't you

do HDTV". Its a little to overbroad to say these people are

stupid. Try to imagine sorting mail by the 100's where letters

are like:


"that Ally Mcbeal -- she dresses like a tramp"


"I bought a radio shack antenna. Where does it go on the

back of the TV ?"


"Are you sending subliminal messages to my dog ?"


In order to petition for HDTV by your station, you have to call,

you have to get a person, and you have to avoid being

catagorized too quickly. Calling them and saying "why don't you

have HDTV yet ?" will simply mark you as that avsforum nut

who won't stop calling.


Imagine how much more effective it is to them if you say

something like "I got my HDTV today, I am not getting HDTV

from your station. Am I doing something wrong ? Oh ? When

do you plan on offering that ?


This at least puts them in the embarrasing position of trying

to tell a new HDTV owner that the station "does not consider

HDTV technology to be a success", especially effective if you

mention what you paid.


If enough people do that, something will be accomplished.

 

[wsreed]

I have found that WFLA is always the weakest link(always the lowest signal level by about 5 to 10 points in Lutz on my Dish 6000) in the digital food chain in Tampa. Mark Schaeffer would love to get it all working right. I think they had a new transmitter (he wouldnt say if it was HDTV capable) but they sent it to NYC to help after the attack. I think they are not even broadcasting at full power due to some problem with the signal bleeding over onto the local Time Warner Cable. That may be a cop out. I don't have any idea if this is even possible. I did hear that rumor (not from Mark).

Bill Reed

 

[videoholic]

Quote:

Originally posted by Gerryex Hi videoholic, My internal DTC-100 is a little different than the stand alone units, but the basic menu structure should be the same. From the Fetch menu go to Antenna Info. This is where you will be able to tune to the various OTA channels, and you'll get a signal reading, but only for digital channels.

Thanks. I had the fetch menu kind of blocked out because I use that to switch from SD to HD. SO I found it.


7-> 70-76%

12-> 85-90%

24-> 85-90%

29-> 70-80%


This is what I found in lutz.

 

[Bschneider]

Below is the email I got from Mark today.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [email protected]

To: bschneid

Subject: RE: WFLA-DT weak signal

Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 12:05:41 -0500


Bryan,


Thanks for the info. We started getting calls late Friday describing the same thing. We are looking into the problem but haven't found anything yet. We believe an unidentified source is causing interference to the DTV signal. What area do you live in?


As for the second part of your question please see the note below.



We began broadcasting digital television (DTV) on in November of 1999. All of our local, syndicated and NBC programming is up-converted to the 1080I High Definition format and broadcast on Channel 7-1 DT from our transmission tower in Riverview. Although this up-conversion doubles the amount of horizontal scan lines and gives the appearance of HD it does not produce the resolution of true HD.


The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Crossing Jordan are the only two shows offered by NBC in true High Definition at this time. Unfortunately due to equipment shortages from NBC we are not capable of broadcasting either of theses shows in true HD. As soon as equipment becomes available we will be broadcasting all available shows in true 1080I HD.


If you have any questions or I can be of further assistance please don't hesitate to give me a call or drop me an e-mail.



Mark Schaefer

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[wsreed]

I spoke with Mark Schaefer today and alerted him to this post. He was going to check it out. He may show it to his general manager. At least they know we are out here and want our HDTV.

Bill Reed

 

[ScottAllyn]

Quote:

Originally posted by videoholic Thanks. I had the fetch menu kind of blocked out because I use that to switch from SD to HD. SO I found it.

Are you talking about switching from HD Monitor to one of the other outputs? Please tell me there's a way to do this via the remote! I'll name my next guitar after you!


Here are my signal levels in Lutz as of 6:00pm:


NBC: 70-78

FOX: 88

CBS: 94

ABC: 82-84


NBC is bouncing around quite a bit. FOX and CBS are rock solid. ABC isn't quite rock solid, but it's not far from it.

 

[videoholic]

Quote:

Originally posted by ScottAllyn Are you talking about switching from HD Monitor to one of the other outputs? Please tell me there's a way to do this via the remote! I'll name my next guitar after you! Here are my signal levels in Lutz as of 6:00pm: NBC: 70-78 FOX: 88 CBS: 94 ABC: 82-84 NBC is bouncing around quite a bit. FOX and CBS are rock solid. ABC isn't quite rock solid, but it's not far from it.

Yeah there is an option in the setup menu that will change the fetch button to switch HD mode to SD mode and vice versa.

 

[ScottAllyn]

I've looked thru the menus... no sign of that setting.

 

[videoholic]

Menu button the hit 6 then 7. you will see an option to change the fetch button to toggle HD mode. This is the RCA dc-100 we're talking about right?

 

[ScottAllyn]

Yup. It's an RCA dtc-100.


When I hit the menu button, 6 is "Preferences" but there's no 7 in the Preferences menu... 6 (Caption Mode) is the last option. It must be a firmware issue & w/o a dish, I don't have much chance of getting the firmware updated.